Mavis Staples

There are quite a few examples of women who first found their voice in the church. Gospel roots were behind the rightfully celebrated pipes of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Katy Perry, Faith Hill. These women made their mark at the top of the charts for pop, R&B, soul and country.

But a list of Mavis Staples’ fans and peers falls solidly in the rock world. Just over the past few years, her collaborators included Arcade Fire, Gorillaz, M. Ward, Son Little, and her producer and friend Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. These are rock stars who challenge assumptions, make some cacophonous noise, and generally shake things up. They’re not in the studio making things pretty, auto-tuning vocals, and reaching hard for mainstream airplay.

Staples shakes things up. She got it from her Dad, Roebuck "Pops" Staples, who raised his talented children to stand up for what is right. They started in the gospel tradition, but by the mid-’60s were civil rights activists in their own right, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and performing contemporary music to inspire the movement (“For What It’s Worth”).

As the Staple Singers — Pops, Mavis, and her siblings Cleotha, Yvonne, and Pervis — the family had hits through the mid-’70s on Stax Records, with Booker T. and the MGs as the studio band. They played with progressive artists like Bob Dylan (who famously asked Pops for Mavis’ hand in marriage), which then led them to appear in the Band’s epic 1976-78 concert film, "The Last Waltz." Their performance of “The Weight” is ingrained in the minds of millions.

As a solo artist, Mavis Staples' career has included working with producers Prince and Ry Cooder (“Down in Mississippi”) as well as Tweedy, winning the ears and hearts of a few generations along the way. Never one to sit still, her presence has lit up benefit concerts and collaborative albums on a regular basis, her growly alto unmistakeable in the mix, even amid the guitars and percussion of her rock star friends.

So why do these artists want to work with Staples? She was there at the start of popular music carrying a progressive message, her voice has carried significance. Of course the respect is unbounded. But it’s her big heart and her sharp mind that begs for a personal, creative connection. She has a lot to say, and with these compatriots, her message reaches far and wide.

A perfect example is her 2016 album, Livin' on a High Note. Produced by M. Ward, the album features songs written specifically for Staples by Nick Cave, Valerie June, Justin Vernon, tUnE-yArds, Neko Case, Ben Harper and other fans. It is full of joy, hope and a collective spirit. (Full album stream video below.)

It took until age 72 for Staples to nab her first Grammy award: Best Americana Album for You Are Not Alone. ("This has been a long time coming," she said at the time. No kidding.) And if you’re looking for some extra inspiration to wake up your own activist spirit, find the 2015 documentary Mavis!and see how that moves you.

Always a welcome guest in our Studio A, we look forward to her next journey (rumor has it she’s working with Jeff Tweedy again). In the meantime, celebrate with us the voice, the love, and the spirit of FUV Essentials artist Mavis Staples.